From: AICE

From: AICE To: [email protected] Subject: AICE Update: Is Abbas Finally Prepared to Negotiate with Israel? Date: Thu, 28 May 2015 15:20:20 +0000 The American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise 0u4 20tiv 6bea4 E-Newsletter Jewish Virtual F., RIP prqR IN THIS ISSUE Myths 8. Facts: Exclusive Mitchell Bard in the Jerusalem Post Mitchell Bard Interviewed on Radio Sputnik Fact of the Week bby is Israel Pear,. and Democracy Month p THIS WEEK IN JEWISH HISTORY Jews of Mainz Massacred during the First Crusade (1096) President Jefferson Pens Letter Regarding Religious Freedom in the U.S (1818) Israel Executes Nazi Criminal Adolf Eichmann (1962) See More Jewish History Events May 28, 2015 Myths & Facts: Online Exclusive Is Abbas Finally Prepared to Negotiate with Israel? One of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's first acts as prime minister was to say that he is interested in negotiations with the Palestinians and specifically wants to define the boundaries of the main settlement blocs where construction would be allowed. Remember that as far back as the 2000 Barak-Arafat negotiations, the Palestinians had expressed a willingness to allow Israel to annex the large settlement blocs as part of a land swap. :2Vlyths & Facts: 2012 It took little time for the Palestinians to respond, as they have to every Israeli call for negotiations, with a resounding rejection. Of course this was no surprise given that this has been their answer to all calls for talks since Mahmoud Abbas met with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in 2008. Even former U.S. envoy Martin Indyk who has been a frequent critic of Netanyahu, acknowledged that Abbas has no interest in negotiations. Indyk said that Abbas understandably feels a lack of legitimacy since he has refused to hold an election for the last 10 years and fears making the compromises needed to reach an agreement, "so he is paralyzed by that." Click Here to Continue Reading Mitchell Bard in the Jerusalem Post When Imitation Isn't Flattery This is one of my favorite political stories that falls under the strange but true category. The first time Arab-Americans made a serious effort to form a lobby was in 1972. The National Association of Arab Americans (NAAA) was consciously patterned after its pro-Israel counterpart, AIPAC. In fact, the NAAA even duplicated AIPAC's stationery, changing only the name. More brazen, however, was the nascent lobby's request for help from AIPAC. Both AIPAC's former executive and legislative directors told the story of being outside a hearing room on Capitol Hill and having NAAA director David Saad EFTA00702923 AICE PROJECTS lk To stay updated on a daily basis, find us online! come over and say, "How would you guys like to earn some extra money? Train my staff." This may have been one of the first cases where Israel's detractors copied a successful approach used by Israel's friends. You might expect Arab Americans to be savvier, but many believe, along with their Middle Eastern brethren, in the mythology of the omnipotent Jewish lobby. Even while they denigrate Jews and Israelis they imitate us.What distinguished the detractors then and now, including those now roiling college campuses, was put best by AIPAC's former legislative director, Douglas Bloomfield: "Their position was always, 'This is what I want you to do to Israel, never anything positive we can do for the Palestinians.'" Click Here to Continue Reading Mitchell Bard Interviewed on Radio Sputnik Israel-Gaza airstrikes: Tit for tat fire 'All too predictable' - Bard Hear Mitchell Bard's Interview on Radio Sputnik at Soundcloud Fact of the Week Egypt Destroys over 500 Tunnels along the Gaza Border Over the last six months, Egypt has discovered and destroyed 521 tunnels running from Gaza into Egypt. The tunnels were discovered during the enlargement of the "buffer zone" along the Gaza border to help prevent smuggling and terrorism in the Sinai peninsula. Read More about contemporary Egypt at the Jewish Virtual Library May is Israel Peace and Democracy Month EFTA00702924 To stay updated on a daily basis, find us online! Sincerely, Mitchell Bard AICE Executive Director p Forward this email yr This email was sent to by Update Profile/Email Address Rapid removal with SafeUnsubscribe — Privacy Policy. American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise 2810 Blaine Dr. Chevy Chase MD 20815 EFTA00702925